Wireless signals exchange information between the automobile and a residential charging station regarding the amount of electricity needed, current electricity costs, and a decision to charge (or not).

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Summary

Electric vehicles are growing in popularity, and while they represent a cleaner alternative to fossil-fueled vehicles, their increasing may stress the grid if this new and growing load is left unmanaged. What if there was a smart way to charge these vehicles to reduce costs for the consumer while assuring a stable electric grid?

Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have developed algorithms and a technology for simplifying electric vehicle charging. These patent pending technologies, if integrated with other components, can initiate the communication between the vehicle and the grid to decide the optimal time to re-charge.

Daily battery charging is fully automatic with the Grid Friendly™ Charger Controller. After initial set-up of the Controller, the consumer plugs in the electric vehicle and then forgets about it. In the morning—or any other specified time—the battery will be fully "topped off." Not only will the charging be done during times of lowest cost (assuming electricity rates vary during the course of a day), but also in a way that helps manage demand on the grid.

Wireless technology embedded in the Grid Friendly Charger Controller will communicate with the utility’s smart meter to receive a rate schedule or electric pricing updates in real-time. The Grid Friendly Charger Controller will then determine an optimal charging strategy that reduces the electricity cost to the customer.

The Grid Friendly Charger Controller has another feature, also developed at PNNL, that protects the electrical grid during high grid stress conditions and assist in integrating large amounts of intermittent renewable energy resources, such as wind and solar technologies into the grid. Grid Friendly technology recognizes when the grid is under stress and briefly reduces the charging current to the battery. This sensitivity to grid stress may be critical in preventing power outages.

GridWise at PNNL - Pacific Northwest National Laboratory teamed up with regional utilities and industry partners in the year-long Pacific Northwest GridWise™ Demonstration Project to test the notion that smart grid technologies and consumers can play an active role in managing the grid.